The word “service” has many meanings. However, in this devotional series, we will focus upon “the occupation of a servant”; even to “the acts, fact, or means of serving”; even to the where, when, and how to serve.

The Word of God is very plain that those who have been Born of God (or regenerated; or born again) are those who have received not the spirit of fear, but the Spirit of Adoption, whereby they cry “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15); even those who have become a dwelling place of the Spirit of Christ (Galatians 4:6); having had the love of God shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost (Romans 5:5).

Paul said of these ones: “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants (bondmen) of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants (bondmen) of righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18).

Paul said after we are born again, we are in the position of a bond servant. A bond servant is to obey the Lord or Master’s commands. That is, a bond servant, or slave, is to carry out a “service” for his Master; when the command is given; to wherever the Master says to go; and to do it exactly as the Master says to do it.

However, “the how” the born of God carry out God’s Commands is where this study is directed; or in what attitude is the child of God’s service of Christ. Many times when the word “servant” or “slave” is brought to light, the immediate response is:

1. Someone who is poor;
2. Someone who has been forced to be a servant;
3. The disregard of the master toward the servant;
4. A hatred of the servant of his master;
5. Someone who is in a prison setting.

The servant of Christ was made a servant true enough by the Sovereign Choice of God; in God’s Election; Christ’s Atonement, and the Spirit’s Work in Regeneration (Ephesians 1:3-11; Romans 3:24-25; Galatians 4:5-7; Romans 8:14-16). The major difference between an earthly servant, by whatever means he is made a servant, and one made a servant of Jesus Christ, is that the servant of Christ has had his inner nature changed by God in Regeneration. Here the “old man” is crucified; he is made free from the law of sin and death by the Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2) and is given a “…new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). He is made a new creature in Christ, “…old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Now, being born again, or born from above, he is the dwelling place of the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:14-16); he now has a new Master by death, burial, and resurrection in Christ. (Read Romans 6:1-23.) He now has a new mind:

(Ephesians 2:1-3) “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”

Now, he desires to please Christ; he carries out Christ’s Commands with an understanding of why he is serving. Now he is called a friend of God; now the servant / friend knows he has been chosen, called, and equipped for this position:

(John 15:15-16) “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. (16) Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

He now perceives his mission of service:

(Matthew 22:37-40) “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

His mission is two-fold: 1) love God and 2) love his neighbor as himself. He realizes that the only way he can carry out this two-fold mission of service is to have the Power of Christ living in him (Galatians 2:20); and then he can do all things (Philippians 4:13).

This study is to aid the believer to have “joy” in his service of and of Christ. It is to reveal there is no true service in the “letter,” but only in the “Spirit of God.” It is not in the do’s and don’ts primarily, but the attitude in which we serve Christ. This attitude must be lodged in the perception of the Love of God, or in the Purpose of God, for His children. The servant must answer these questions:

1. Who am I?
2. Why did God chose me and call me and equip me?
3. Upon what foundation did God make me His servant?

This series is broken down into five points, with the major premise, “We can only serve God rightly, when we understand”:

1. The Definition of Service in His Love; what is called our “Reasonable Service”
2. The Foundation itself, the Atonement of Christ called, “The Sufferings of Christ”; which is also where our Fellowship of His Sufferings is
3. The Separation of Christ (Sanctification); which is The How we walk in the Fellowship of His Sufferings
4. The Salvation of Christ; which is our Preserving of His Sufferings in this temporal life
5. The Security of Christ; which is our Preservation of His Sufferings in this temporal life

My prayer is that in reading this study of “Our Service of God” that there will be an acute awareness that:

1. God loves us; therefore, we love Him (1 John 4:7-21).
2. God died for us, to take away our old life, and place His Life in us (Romans 5:1-21; 1 John 3:24; 5:20); that we be saved and reign in this life with Him (Romans 5:10, 17).
3. God ordained that His servants / friends be chosen, called, and equipped to bear fruit, more fruit, and much fruit; and that their fruit would remain (John 15:16).
4. God created us unto “good works” (Ephesians 2:10); and these good works (or fruits) are works of Righteousness and Holiness and Peace (Romans 6:21-22; Hebrew 12:14; Romans 14:17; Galatians 5:22-23).
5. God prepared us afore to be made to see the Riches of His Glory (Romans 9:23; John 17:21-24; Ephesians 1:17-21), that we might be revealed His Perfection, His Preeminence, and His Power as we behold His Glory. This is the end of the Chain of Grace (Romans 8:29-30); which begins in this life and lasts forever in eternity.

When you see your position in Christ in His Atonement; then your service will be a praise and honor unto God, and you will serve him in Joy, Peace, Righteousness, and Power of the Holy Spirit. You will serve Him not for reward, but because you love Him and know that you are in the “Fellowship of His Sufferings” (Philippians 3:9-10).